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Monday, September 3, 2012

Robert Roberds of Buncombe, North Carolina

When I first joined ancestry.com I started my tree with the Roberts family. They are my husband's ancestors and of course my son's but I have walked around for almost 25 years with Roberts as my name so I feel some attachment for these people. The Roberts' were a fun family to research, they moved in large family units, married their neighbors and were fairly easy to trace. The furthermost back in the family that I can go and provide genealogical proof is Robert Roberds. I have seen his father given as William, but no proof or documentaion was offered, so I am leaving him out. It was also interesting to follow the changing spelling of the name from Robards, Roberds to Roberts.

Buncombe, North Carolina

map of Buncombe County

The Roberds family lived for sometime in Buncombe County in North Carolina. I have never been there but I have heard that the country is beautiful. The county was formed in 1791 and named for a Revolutionary War Hero. The county is in the western part of the state, the part that looks like a tail. The terrain is mountainous and I'm not sure how good it is for farming. According to Wikipedia the majority of the first settlers in Buncombe were Baptists. The Roberts land was in the North part of the state above Weaverville.

Robert Roberds

Robert Roberds or Robards and sometimes Roberts is as far back as I can trace the family and this narrative begins with his end, or at least his will. The will gives us the all important names of his wife and children, it also very graphically show that this was a family of slave owners. Given the date and location, this shouldn't come as a shock, but it does all the same. His will was written in Bumcombe County on 10 April 1840.The following family is named in his wife:Wife: Nancy to recieve all household and kitchen furniture, all his stock and three "negros viz Julia, Jaz, Larkin for her lifetime and when she dies they are to be sold and profits given to his children. Nancy also is to receive $100.00.Son: Shelton to receive one "negro girl named Almina and her increase" foreverSon: Robert to receive one "negro boy named Persey forever" and one tract of land containing fifty acres joining Charles McKinney James A Buckner and said son Robert, also another tract of land joining Wm Anderson and the Deweese tract I give to my said son RobertSon: John to receive ten dollarsDaughter: Louisa Ann Tatum to receive "one negro girl named Mariah for her with her increase forever, but I will that same girl be and remain with wife during her natural life except she see proper to give her up to Louisa Tatum, and my wifes act in keeping or giving up said girl is my will entirelySon: William to receive ten dollarsSon: Augustus C. to receive "one note of hand I hold on himself for the amount of sixty dollars"Son: Pierce to receive "one negro boy named Harry to have and possess forever"Son: Alfred B to receive "one negro boy named Sam and one rifle to have and possess forever"Grandsons: Robert Bertes Roberts and Andrew Martin Roberts to receive one tract of land where my son William now lives and one negro girl named Lally for them to possess forever but the land and the negro to remain under the control of the executors of the willGrandaughter: Elizabeth C. to receive "one negro girl named Mary to have and possess the same forever to be under the control of the executors
Executors: sons Pierce and Alfred B.
Presented in Oct. 1840

Robert's wife Nancy is said to be either Nancy Cody or Nancy Seavy but I cannot find any proof for either name. She is said to have died in 1848. I cannot find any information about either son Shelton or William. Robert, Jr. is said to have died in June of 1840. The other sons moved in the 1850's to Ellijay in Gilmer County, Georgia. I will try to do a profile of each of the children and their children.
If you know anything about this family please let me know.

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About Me

I
am an amateur genealogist who is interested in more than just names and dates. As a history buff I love to place my ancestor in their time and imagine how their lives were lived. I also am trying to weed out the junky genealogy that I find on the web.